Things I don't want to forget...

This is going to be a boring post for everyone but me, Devin and the grandparents.

I have had so much fun with my 2 little munchkins this summer and had hopes of catching the blog up from our month of travel back in May, but in the meantime, life is going on and I don't want to miss recording the sweet things about my girls I never want to forget.

CLAIRE:

I just gave a pretty good update on this bear on her birthday post, and not a whole lot has changed.

She absolutely loves dogs.  She can spot them before I do, and always stands up in the stroller, tenses her whole body with excitement and pants heavy like a dog.  I'm not kidding.  When I read books with dogs/puppies and she hears me say "doggie" or "puppy" she immediately pants heavy like a dog and smiles.

She loves her big sister when her big sister is nice and playful, and can also very much hold her own ground when big sister is ruffling her feathers.  They wrestle and tickle each other; play kitchen and dress-up together; and fight over toys.  From all the playing throughout the day, my most favorite time to secretly hear and watch them play is at bedtime.  We do the routine and I crack the door as I leave their room with their music player playing and their projector illuminating their ceiling with fish, and then the sweet giggles and play begins.  I can never bring myself to break up their play...even if they do stay up another hour making each other laugh.  What do they do, you ask?  Nothing more than stand up in their cribs, look at each other and make noises back and forth copying whatever noise the other one makes.  For some reason this entertains them to the point that they are laughing harder than I ever hear them do during the day.  I like to think that they think they are doing something that mom and dad have no idea they are doing and it makes it that much more fun...because the few times I open the door to peek and they catch me looking, they stop immediately and look at me with blank stares.  They are so funny and so so cute!

EMILY:

She is a hoot and everyday I have a few grown up conversations with her where she uses phrases like, "What? Now way Mom." and "Are you kidding me?" and "Oh my goodness/gosh."

We went to the Brookfield Zoo today and she absolutely loved it!  We haven't been to the Zoo in a year, and my oh my what a year's time can do.  She was completely fascinated with the animals and had so much energy running from exhibit to exhibit.

She is very much into volunteering to say the family prayers.  Tonight she said the prayer before dinner... "Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for this day.  Thank you that we could go to the zoo and see the amimals.  Help this food, that it can nourish our bodies.  Name of Jesus Christ, amen."  I LOVE hearing her sweet little prayers and witnessing the what her little mind comes up with to offer to the Lord.

She is such a girly girl.  A typical scene in our living and play room is her clicking around in her dress up high heels (or my high heels she finds in my closet), with necklaces and a purse adorning her, a "sparkling headband" in her hair and asking me, "Mom, can I have some of your lipstick from your purse?"  or "Mom, can you paint my nails?"  I probably paint that girl's nails 4 times a week.  She loves feeling pretty and grown up, and loves to look at herself all dressed up.  Putting her Sunday church dress on each week is one of the highlights in her life right now.

This girl is officially potty trained.  She took to it so well, and we haven't looked back since day 1 when I took that diaper off of her.  I am glad that I waited until she was really ready, because honestly it has been a breeze.  After a month of no diapers, I have only had to clean up 2 accidents and both of them were because she just couldn't get her pants down in time and she peed next to her potty...crying the whole time because she felt embarrassed (poor thing.)  Using her princess potty at home and big girl potties in public (Costco, the zoo, the playground, church) has been such a confidence builder for her and it has been fun to see her feel proud of herself for something she does all on her own.  The routine goes a bit like this....she does a little pee pee dance as she tries to hold it while she makes her way to her little princess potty.  She pulls everything down, does her business and then asks me for toilet paper.  She can wipe herself and then likes to follow me to the bathroom to dispose of her product in the big toilet and then she flushes it and says, "Treat mom.  Can I have a fish (swedish fish)?"  She gets 1 fish for pee and 2 fish for #2.  It is now to the point where she just does it all on her own and the only reason I know she went is because she comes to me and asks for a treat.  Not sure how long we are going to keep this treat thing up and running, but it completely was all the motivation she needed.

LOVES TO DANCE

Hates having her hands and feet dirty and uses a fork or spoon to eat every thing...even sandwiches.

Likes to run next the stroller on our way to the playground.  The best and biggest playground in our area is a mile away, and she usually makes it half way before wanting to get in the stroller.  And she runs fast.  When she's ready to get in he stroller she says (as she huffs and puffs with exhaustion and gulps down water) "That's good exercise mom.  It makes me strong and healfy."

She is a techy and can navigate the ipad better than I can.  I turn on the ipad and see what pops up, and I honestly have no idea how she found the "Sophia the First" episode on You Tube all by herself and without typing anything into the search bar.

Her 3rd birthday is this Saturday and she is so excited for everything birthday this weekend.  It has been really fun having her anticipate blowing out her candles, eating whatever she wants for dinner and opening her presents.  She actually knows what's going on and what birthdays are all about, and I'm very excited to experience the birthday magic with her this weekend!